When Truth Lies
by darth mole
Summary: A short novel by Darth Mole Please R&R!
1. D'svyrie

When Truth Lies

"Look," Martin stoops over the man and starts to whisper, "if you won't stop following me, I'll take you so deep into the wilderness that even Saradomin won't save your pitiful behind."

The man whimpers and runs away. As soon as he is out of sight Martin lets off a hearty laugh, "Ha! I guess he won't be needing this." Martin kneels on one knee, takes off his diving apparatus, opens the top, and places everything he just stole off of the man in it then closes the lid, "I love this thing." The words, "D'svyrie Mer Martin," appear in black on the apparatus, only to disappear seconds afterward.

There's a slight clanking noise as Martin gets up. The padding between the rune scales that he has masterfully attached underneath his brown pirate leggings have torn again. 

"Hmm, it's that time of year again?"

Ever since Martin had armored his favorite pair of pants, repairing them has become an annual occurance. As a matter of fact, so has all of his armor, considering he has done some custom work to all of them.   
Recasting the enchantment to his Rogue top that makes it as strong as Red Dragonhide. Renewing the soft leather on the palm of his gloves and between his thumbs and index fingers.  
Having to wash his black face mask every three months because the dye lowered the quality of the mask. Then having to dye it afterwards so it matches his messy jet-black hair and cold, dark eyes.

Then there's the Rogue boots. He always repairs those last because he has to not only renew the leather on the sole of the boot with soft leather, but he also has to reinforce the gaurds and wrappings on his ankle, and make sure that the rune toe plates are always hidden by the black cloth. Martin stands up from his steel-framed workbench at his Rimmington home and performs a couple hops.

"Let's go break these things in! Oh Butler!"

"You called, sir?"

"I did, will you continue to look after the house for free?"

"Under the same conditions, sir?" 

"Yes, you may host parties whenever you want and treat the house as if it were yours. I'll be dropping back in sometime tonight, could you set-up the large tub in the Annex Parlor, and prepare it with hot water. That is, if you aren't having guests, if you do, place the tub in the chapel and lock the door, I need some alone time later tonight. As usual whenever I see you, I will go break these in now."

"Very good, sir. I shall perform the task with ease. The tub will be in the chapel." 

Martin grabs his Obsidian sword, which he has named the Sword of Winds, and his Enchanted black spear. The staff of the spear is black and has intricate carvings running along the entire spear. 

"See you tonight."  
"I bid thee farewell and safe journeys, sir."

Martin enters the portal to Ardougne.


	2. Friends Beyond Fate

--------Friends Beyond Fate--------

"They've spotted us!" Shouted Marc as a mass of trolls start tossing large boulders at him. He and Draac had been trying to ambush the large beasts to make their assault on them much easier.  
A large boulder hits Draac dead in the chest, and knocks him on his back as green sparks from his full Guthix armor shimmer in his wake.

"Are you alright!" Marc shouts over the loud grunts made by the trolls and the thudding of their artillery in the side of the grey canyon. He looked concerned for Draac's well being and a little mad about the boulders.

"I'm okay, let's get in that gully to try to cover ourselves!"

"Agreed!" 

Draac and Mark run togeather, using their guthix shields to block the smaller stones, and peering over their shields to watch for larger ones.

They both dive into the gully.

As they are in mid-dive, a stone about the size of a gnomeball that Draac had played with as a child hits him square in the head, CRACK! A mist of green sparks and blood spray into the air. At the very same moment, another slightly large stone hits Marc in the center of his back plate, denting it.

"DRAAC! Are you okay? Draac, speak to me! Wake up, bud. C'mon!" Draac laid motionless in the protection of the gully. Marc stretches out his hand and pulls Draac closer to the bank of the gully and slowly, and very painfully, kneels low close to Draacs motionless body.

"RRRAAAAAARRRGGGGHHHH!" 

The trolls hear the battle cry, and the rain of stone stops for a few seconds, then returns even louder than before.

The pupils in Marc's blood red eyes suddenly turn into sl(c)its, like that of cats, then quickly adjusts for the light. The scars on his neck reopen and red, bloody scales slide out. A red, scaled tail unravels out of a whole in the back end of his armor. He snorts a burst of fire from his nostrils. The green trimming and symbols on his dragon chain body and legs begin to glow. He stands erect with a slight hunch, blood is now running from his neck and down his armor. Another small spout of flames from his nostrils as the Trolls turn their fire towards his direction.

The parade of flying, hardened dirt almost touch their mark when suddenly Marc crosses his arms, shrugs his shoulders, takes a deep breath, and the opens both arms wide and stands properly as he lets off another vicious roar and two huge, elegant, bloody wings unfurl.  
The wings block the barrage of stones and redirect them to other resting places.  
Marc leaps hundreds of meters into the sky as he leaves the trolls stupified at what just happend. He sheathes his poisoned dragon long sword and grabs a lightning-bolt shaped sword hanging from his back.

With one hand holding the extraordinary weapon, and the other open and reaching towards his enemies, Marc goes into a steep dive over the canyon. The trolls just stood in their spots, staring and trying to figure out whether or not the thing in the sky was a bird.

As he pulls the sword hilt back to touch his hip, Marc lets off one more enormous roar. This time it sounds exactly like a dragon's. He pulls up and runs the blade across a trolls neck with such force that the head of the creature flies at least twenty meters into the air.

The trolls are now frightened, the bird-man had just killed their strongest in one unimaginably swift cut. They start fleeing only to find the bodies of their brothers and trails of green light and smoke.

Marc circles around the trolls, hearding them closer and closer to the center of the ring of his smoke trails. He notices how the trolls start learning that the center is the best place for a chance to survive.

Another loud dragon screach is heard, but this time it's not Marc. A pack of Red Dragons are flying overhead and begin to descend into the center of trolls.

Marc notices a faint noise, he stops circling as the Dragons start to feast on the trolls and listens intently. 

"Marc... Marrrccc..."

Marc flies over to Draac and kneels over his body, his wings extended so that they create a shelter for Draac.

"You're- You're alive." Marc says joy and astonishment.

"Of course I'm alive, you fool." Draac almost chokes on his own blood while speaking, but is forced to swallow it instead. "Did you get them?" 

"We got them, I couldn't have done it without you." 

"Stop being such a pansy. We did this so you could hopefully learn to control that transformation of yours from the Red Dragons. You should ask them if it was delicious.

"Your wings are bleeding, they aren't supposed to do that."  
"I know. They were cut by my chainmail. I got a really bad blow to the back the broke a lot of the rings around the holes for the wings. It still hurts."

"Heh, you pansy. I got hit with a rock in the head, you don't see me complaining. What's this now, you gonna cry?"

"Can it, weakling. You couldn't even stay conscious for the task. Anyway, we've got to go with the Dragons back to their lair. You can heal there. I'll ask one of them to take you."  
Draac gives a look concern, it's a long way to their wilderness cave.

"Don't worry," Mark says when he reads Draac's face while taking off his friend's helmet, "We have an agreement with the elves, we'll be camped out on the mountains. I'll take you into West Ardougne for treatment as soon as I return to normal."

The Dragons start to fly off as Marc places a giant bag filled with big bones, and Draac onto one dragon and fly off to catch up with the rest.


	3. We Simply Call Him

--------We Simply Call Him--------   
Kris sat, reminiscing about his past. It was raining that day, and he was the only one in the Ardougne Zoo. As a matter of fact, just a few minutes previous to sitting, he was laying on his back. Still, the rain made him remember of his past. He had to constantly tell himself that there were, are, and will be better days. This rain was warm, it gave him hope.

"Come on, ye bag of scum!" A guard passed Kris' bench, dragging a young boy that was bawling.

A scratchy voice hit the guard to the bones with a cold chill, "Excuse me, sir, but what business do you have dragging such a boy around in this weather?"

"None o' ye mind!" The guard said with a heavy accent, so heavy it was almost incoherent.

Kris let off a weary sigh, "What has he been accused of?" 

"Theff' from yonder Mardget! Stole's him 'chake!" 

"He claims that I stole the one I bought for my Mum's party, sir!" The boy frantically shouts as tears run with the rain on his face.

"Shut'et!" The guard gives the boy a hefty bruise with the back of his hand.

Kris slowly approches the guard. The boy feels himself drop to the gound and instantly curls into a protective ball. The rain runs down his face and fills his ears, causing all sounds but the rain to be muted.  
The guard's face appears two inches from the boys open eyes, he leaps up and lets off a scream.

"It's okay, boy," Kris lowers himself until he's face-to-face with the boy, "Now where's this cake?"

"We ate it, sir. I bought the cake two days ago. The guard just looked at me playing with my friends in the rain and drags me away."

"Go home then, I'll deal with him."

The boy runs off. Kris places one foot on the guard, "Now what are we going to do with you? I think we'll make you my new toy, how does that sound?" 

The guard gurgles, and stares with fear behind Kris. Kris turns his head, and gives a grin.

"Now what would this spiky, blond haired dip want with such a lowly guard?"

"I've never seen you around here. My name's Kris. Also, my hair isn't blond, it does have red tips too."


	4. Forever Under the Hood

--------Forever Under the Hood--------

A fully black robe figure loomed at the East Ardougne entrance to the underground pass. Two vicious horns protruded from under the the matching jet-black hood, lifting it just enough to let a soft, blood colored light glow. It was estimated to be just above the crown of his nose when his head was gloomily tilted as it was. Two black, intricately patterned, red-veined gloves come out of the large ends of the arms on his robe.  
One glove gripped the shaft of a brilliantly silver staff. Atop the staff adorned four white claws precariously gripping what appared to be a strangely cut Onyx gem. The light around the gem seemed to bend and swirl, giving anyone that stared at it a stiff headache.

A group of Magi passing by to secure the well in the depths of the pass, trembled at the sight of him and their sense to his aura. The dark figure gave a heavy sigh, and stepped forward. The Magi parted, one of them spoke.   
"S-Shadow, how were your journies?"

A younger mage whispered a chuckle and a word to the mage next to him, "Heh, Shadow?"

The other mage lept from the young one's presence as the Silver staff passed through his abdomen.

"Ha! You misse-" He fell to the ground as blood ran out of his mouth and his inards fell off the staff.

The Magi, now stunned, fell to their knees and sat silent, waiting for Shadow to continue his journies. He continued his walk as the hood turned and the blood-red light was made visible to the Magi.

"They were successful. Warn your colleagues that don't remember my name, not to speak of it in the same tone as your former student had." Shadow turned back and walked to the massive doors separating East from West Ardougne.

One of the older, more powerful Magi thought he saw a black mist eminate from Shadow's robes and from where the staff effortlessly penetrated his fallen comrade.


	5. Say Hello or Say Goodbye

--------Say Hello or Say Goodbye--------   
A loud pop, similar to the likes of a fire-cracker, escaped as the guard's neck became broken. Kris took his hands of of the lifeless head. Martin offered his help burying the corpse, and Kris accepted. They dug the hole in the middle of the wolf pen and crossed the corpse's arms as they placed him in the hole. After the task was complete, Martin and Kris walked out of the Ardougne Zoo.

"So, to formerly introduce myself, my name is Dsvyrie Mer Martin. Adventurer Extraordinare." He gave a deep bow.  
"I am Kris H-" Kris was interrupted as strange-looking, scarred man carried his limp, best mate in his arms as he ran full speed past the two in the direction of the local church.  
Martin ran to him.

"What's wrong with him?"  
"Battle wounds, boulder to the noggin."  
"Here, I can help."

Martin kneeled and signaled Marc to set Draac on the grass in front of them. Martin placed his head close to Draac's chest while pulling a knife from his boot and gripped it with his teeth. Martin then pulled a bandage, decorated with strange markings and blood stains, and wrapped it around his forearm. He then swiftly pulled the knife from his mouth and carefully but quickly wedged the knife between the bandage and his arm.

With one swipe and a shocked face from Marc, Martin stabbed the knife into Draac's head right where the stone struck him. He slowly withdrew the knife. No blood flowed, or even ran on the edge of the knife, none at all. "Impressive magic, novice." A hooded figure stood over Draac as he opened his eyes.

"Death! You're here to collect me, aren't you?"  
"I'm no-"  
"Go ahead, end my agony swiftly!"  
"But I'm not d-"  
"Please, I dare not beg such a power as yours."  
"Alright but I told you I'm not death," Shadow raised his staff and started to bring it down on Draac.  
"You're not death! NO NO NOOOO!" Draac winced. He cracked his eyelid, "Am I dead yet?" 

Martin held his speartip to the silver staff, preventing it from completing it's task. "No, you aren't, luckily," Martin said as Shadow withdrew his staff.

"We can make formal introductions later, I'm D'svyrie Mer Martin, or DM for short."

"I'm Kris."

"Shadow." 

"Marc."

"I'm Draac," he smiles. 

"And I'm a Mysterious Old Man. Here you are Draac."   
Draac's smile becomes wider, "Oooo, a box!"


	6. He Who Must Perform the Task

--------He Who Must Perform the Task--------   
Draac looked intently at the piece of something from his box. "It's glass. It's a shard of glass."

Martin, Kris, Shadow, and Marc reply in unison, "It's half of a Crystal key!"  
"Geez, Draac," One of the other four added.

"Hey, I barely know you. Besides, you need to remember that I just recovered from a rock becoming roommates with my brain!"

"Don't make me throw another one at you," Shadow stoops over clutching the largest stone he could find.  
"Well..." The group continues bickering, except for Kris, as Martin reaches in one of the many hidden pockets that line his clothing.

"People, shut it! I have something."  
"Oooh, you're telling me to shut it? I don't even know you! Do you know my power?" Draac replies to Martin's command.  
"I said shut it. Now do as I say or I won't stop Shadow's staff next time."  
Draac complies unhappily to Martin.

"Show me that half key you have. Hmm, perfect match."  
Martin fiddles with the key half in his hands a bit producing a full Crystal key.

"Now, I'm willing to make a deal with all of you. I'll give my half of the key to Draac anyway, which sells at almost 100k, or," Martin holds the key before the other four, "we could get to know each other and our specialities by fighting through the Taverly Dungeon. We could also wreak havoc amongst the beast, and ending our stampede by opening the crystal chest. Who's in?"

All signal their participation except Kris.

Shadow snatches the key from Martin and presents it to Kris, "It's all up to you." 

Kris calmly takes the key.  
"I'll beat you all to the chest."

Muffled noises can be heard through the black walls. Clangs, stomps, bumps, drops, scrapes, all sorts of noises. It must mean... Can't breathe...

Martin and Kris Race to the front of the group, feeding off of each other's speed and teaming their various abilities to take down the dungeonous creatures.   
Martin slashes the side of a Hellhound, causing it to quickly turn it's head to make for a bite.  
Kris leaps as the blood from the wound begins to flow, he kicks off of the open gash and knees the Hellhound as it turned it's head to bite Martin.

Draac and Marc mass the lower leveled monsters, and slowly pile the bodies as they kill the outer rings of foes.

Shadow casts blast spells and ancient magicks to inflict damage on every living foe in the dungeon. He swipes his staff whenever one comes close, instantly killing the creatures.

"Finally, we made it," Martin rests to catch his breath, "we made it to the chest. Give Draac the key, it's his."

Draac takes unlocks the cest and lifts it.

"Uhh, guys?" Draac says nervously.   
Marc grumbles, "What is it this time?"

Draac turns around, with a limp body in his hands.  
"He's not breathing, Martin could you-"  
"I'm already on it."


	7. Identity Aloof

--------Identity Aloof--------

"Where am I?" Alex thought as he arose.

He looked around and observed that he was in a house.

After adjusting his eyes to the light, Alex stood up and fell back into the bed. His legs felt like jello; they were also without pants. A drawer was in the corner of the room, and he was able to deduce that there were probably pants in there.

Alex took to walking around the room trying to recover what he had learned all those many years ago. After he finished relearning how to walk, pants were promptly attatched on to the rehabilitated legs.

The doorways appeared as if there weren't doors, but there were. Upon closer inspection, the doors turned out to be a dining table cut lazily into pieces that nearly fit the door frames. The words, "Recovering: Open this door and die." They were a very unpleasant color.

Sounds, Alex could hear, too! They became louder and louder and louder. He heard footsteps clumping up wooden stairs and people, drunk people, stumble up the same steps.

Alex pressed his ear against the crude door.

"Guest Alex."  
"What the- A demon! Back ye-"  
"The Master wishes to see you in the chapel. Dost thou require any assistance?"  
Looking surprised, Alex nods. He had lost his ability to speak after what the demon said.

"Ride the winds," The Demon Butler says as he grabs Alex. They appear in a small, Guthixian chapel.

"Cheers!" Five glasses were raised as five hands held them. The five hands then carried the strange conical glasses to five cheerful faces. There was a table for each faces, and a glass for each hand. Ten hands, assuming no one had lost any.

"You must be very confused. Butler, go tend to your guests."  
The Demon bows. 

"Come, get in the pool with us. The water is quite comfortable. There's even a place set for you." Shadow signaled toward a sixth table.

Doing as he was told, Alex joined them in the square tub. The water was very comfortable.  
A human in strange armor appeared behind him carrying a basket. The Butler spoke, "Delivery from the Gnomish Restaurant." The Butler escorted the human out after he had unpacked the food.

"Eat, drink," Martin waved his hand, palm up, towards the food. "I'm sure you're hungry for being asleep so long."

Alex stuffed his face.

"Being that we all know your name, it would only be fair that you know ours. My Name is 'svyrie Mer Martin."  
"Shadow."  
"Kris"  
"I'm Marc."  
"Hi, I'm Draac."  
"Mmmph," Food started to trickle out of Alex's mouth. He caught it before it landed in the pool, and took his feast slowly.  
The five strange people continued talking about the quests they have done, various different battles, their strategies, etc.  
Gulping down his last bite with a cocktail, Alex piped up, "How long was I out?" 

"About three days," Draac quickly replied. He held Marc's head under the water so he couldn't answer before him.

"And you five are all just best buds that party all of the time, here?" Alex seems to have recovered from his long sleep.

"No, we met three days ago. We've been staying at my place for the past three days, waiting for you to wake up," Martin said with a grin.

"You still didn't answer about the parties."

Martin let his grin widen, "That's a tradition here. It started back when I hired the old Cook from Lumbridge castle. She loved cooking for people, so I'd let her invite people over. Eventually it ended up that the house became the help's due to my travelling for months at a time.  
"It then progressed even more that the servant lives here, family included, and in return they work for free. The work for me only happens a few times a year, so they're fine with it.  
"I did think that the parties would stop after the Butler's family moved in, but instead they grew."

What a curious person. Alex had not a clue as to what to think about, excluding the food.

Kris opens his mouth, "Now that we've answered your questions, why don't we ask one. What's your story? Martin, here, is a successful adventurer; Shadow's a powerful mage; Draac and Marc are powerful warriors."

Shadow cuts in, "He lives like it's his last minute."

Kris gets a clean punch on him.  
"So who are you?"

Opening his mouth to reply, Alex responds to himself by shutting it.  
"I- I don't know."


End file.
